The Norsk Face

When Lasse Altern Halvorsen and Marianne Lien took a seven-month trip around the world, it wasn’t what they found on their travels that made the biggest impact; it was what they’d left behind. Noting that their Norwegian homeland lacked a presence and identity in markets abroad (although a certain cruise line comes to mind), Halvorsen, an architect, and Lien, who has a background in advertising, founded Pur Norsk in 2006. The Oslo-based boutique and extensive online shop is the world’s first concept store focusing exclusively on Norwegian design. Dwell recently spoke to Halvorsen about the venture.